Chapter 48

The Seven Pillar Challenge

(One Hour Earlier)

It was a game.

At least that was what Frank began to think of this process. In reality, he understood it for what it really was, training. The circuits were supposed to be representations of the seven different nodes within his body.

Or that is what Frank hoped to be the case as he continued to go through basic trial after trial.

In the beginning, the tasks were simple; connect the pillar he was at to another using either a positive or negative energy pulse. While taxing, it was relatively easy. At least for Frank it was, though Frank soon realized a lot of this was due to his continually focusing on a perfect evolution, making it so he automatically improved his power after advancing a cultivation tier. This along with the fact that Frank just had to follow the electrical pathways around the lower levels that had been serving as ambient light sources, meant the paths were already laid out and easily visible.

From there the tasks got harder, connect to a node using positive and negative energy movements.

For this Frank just reached out and touched the same node with his energy.

Then the rules started to update.

Touch two different nodes using positive and negative currents.

Connect three nodes, then circle back and touch your starting node having both circuits run in opposite directions.

That was the other thing too.

Frank didn’t know if it was a translation issue, or what, but every time he started channeling energy from node to node, the act itself was called creating a circuit, but only once it went out and connected back to his starting node.

At first his mind had a hard time separating the two, as they were completely different functions. But through following the progression of the training materials, Frank found the activity to be easier and easier.

Rumble.

Every once in a while an explosion or other movement of energy would threaten to break his concentration. Just as that happened, Frank could feel the energy being channeled around him increase, as slowly more and more disturbances and stimuli that could possibly distract him were slowly flooded out.

At least that is the way everything felt to Frank’s mind.

It didn’t hurt that when he got hyper focused like this, blocking out all other stimuli became increasingly easy.

At first the rules were not exactly told to him, but he soon learned to understand by trial and error.

First a singular node could only be used once per circuit, meaning that the more nodes Frank had to connect, the more he had to pay attention to not only spacing, but also made it so he couldn’t double back.

Also crossing currents was not possible. Or rather crossing the same current was not possible.

For whatever reason positive energy currents ran a top loop, while the negative energy circuits ran a lower loop. This meant that the two opposing energy signatures could cross each other, but a negative couldn’t cross through an already in place negative loop. While a positive energy loop could not cross through an already established positive loop.

It was fun and challenging, especially as there was no real way to know where each node was, until he began expanding his mind and looking for possible connections.

Seven is the amount of nodes that Frank was able to find, which he thought was odd, until he realized that was exactly how many pillars were briefed to him during his training.

Then it became one of those duh moments, where you realize you were so focused on the immediate task before you, and what information was being spoon fed to you, that you failed to realize your own institutional knowledge on the subject.

Frank had come here already knowing there were seven pillars. In fact, before he sat down and had his senses effectively diminished by the training pillar before him, he could almost feel all seven pillars. That was partially why finding the different unclaimed nodes was relatively easy.

Though Frank was a little sad that he had not increased his Attributes yet, he could feel that there was something important to this process.

First, he was learning how the ancients thought, more importantly, he was proving to himself that he could apparently complete the lessons provided by the ancients who built this place.

While Frank himself had no clue how these structures were first made, as most of that history had long since been lost. He still felt confident in his ability try to at least be able to learn the lessons that were being taught down here.

It didn’t hurt the fact that this felt less like learning, and more like trying to solve a three-dimensional interactive puzzle that required all kinds of focus.

This was why, challenge after challenge the rules never changed, but what was asked slowly increased in difficulty.

One odd rule was that he could not touch the same node at the same exact step in either circuit. This meant that if he used one node for the fourth hop on his positively charged circuit, he could not use the same node for his fourth hop on his negatively charged circuit.

That didn’t mean that he couldn’t use that same node for the third or even fifth hop, just not the exact same fourth hop.

There were many such rules. Even managing to start and move via different paths, if he followed the same direction, meaning he used nodes three to connect to four on both circuits he also failed. Even if he managed to hit nodes three and four at different times.

The entire thing was wild, and seemed to show a constant need for speed and pacing, but despite all of this, Frank never felt pressured to move faster. Nor did things suddenly get harder for taking too long.

Now this is not to say that if he took a particularly long break, he wouldn’t receive a ten second countdown to restart his training if he took too long between tries.

In all, it seemed that he had somewhere around a minute to regain his composure between failed attempts. While he was allowed as much time as needed to rest between new challenges. This was why after the fifth and sixth attempts, Frank took what felt like forever. Despite being infused with a surge of energy after completing each test successfully.

The energy was just enough for Frank to realize that he could use the energy and condense it down to create a perfect layer for his current cultivation level.

However, the draw back to this would mean that first he would have to cultivate here, and he didn’t know if doing such an act would break his connection to the training program he had somehow initiated. Nor did he know if he would be granted the same level of protection while cultivating that he currently experienced.

Also, there was the minor fact that the energy he gained from completing each trial, he would need to use to complete the next trial. Meaning that for now, Frank felt it was prudent to continue on to the next set.

There was also a theme with the different sets of challenges.

After the third set of challenges, Frank could feel sweat forming. Still the boost of energy provided at the end of completing the trial was enough to give him the mental and psychological boost he needed to carry on.

Still, the trials continued to get tougher.

Each new trial required Frank to connect one more node to both his positive and negatively charged currents. This task was relatively easy to complete, as it just meant that Frank had to do an entire loop around the nodes, bypassing one of the four central nodes and completing a circuit in each direction. For ease and convenience, he missed alternating nodes in the center, all but ensuring that his routes were different, not overlapping in any pathway, and did not cross each other.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

By the end Frank felt sweat beading down his face. With each completion, he felt the healing waves of energy replenish him in a way he had never experienced before, but found extremely enjoyable.

Finally, he was met with the seventh and what was supposed to be the final challenge.

How did he know it was going to be the final challenge? Simple it all but told him that this was the final challenge.

Final task to fully earn the Initiate Participation Badge.

Reading the message, Frank couldn’t help but feel that this was somehow a joke. Somehow the civilization that constructed this facility was so advanced that these tests, tests that had pushed Frank to his mental and psychological maximum, was something so trivial that anyone could do it?

Then again, pausing to search his surroundings, Frank realized that this might not be far off from the case. How else could you explain that someone like Frank was allowed to both partake in the trials, and proceed this far.

Everyone got a chance apparently.

Also, Frank hoped that the Participation part of the message might be another linguistical miscalculation. Surely something so tough and exhausting wouldn’t merit a mere participation badge?

Then again, the rules and tests given were fairly rudimentary. The only real hardship that Frank noted from the puzzles was often the act of channeling the two opposing elemental forces through the pillars in alternating directions. Other then that, the problem solving or puzzle portion of the tests were somewhat easy.

Knowing that he had as much time as he wanted before beginning the seventh and final test, Frank took his time and let his mind relax.

Regardless of the title of this badge, it was clear that no one had gotten this Participation badge in quite a long time. That said, once Frank left here, he was certain that his debrief would likely have to include what he did to get his Initiate Participation Badge, and what that badge actually entailed.

From what Frank could tell, it had something to do with the dual image of a mountain that had appeared on his left arm. With the brown earth colored mountain on the bottom, towards him, and the dark silhouette mirroring away from him.

Only now that he took a moment to pause and inspect his new marking, did Frank realize that the image had in fact gotten denser. Both in terms of positive and negative earth energy particles.

“Is this my participation badge?” Frank mused to himself, before realizing that he was just wasting time.

After a few moments, Frank looked at the screen, trying to figure out how to begin this next step. Though unlike all the others, this one finally gave him a prompt that he had to respond to.

Click ‘Begin’ when you are ready to continue.

Seeing the message, Frank nodded to himself, before clicking the ‘Begin’ button with his left hand. The moment he did, the rules for the round appeared.

Rules:

* Can only make six connections to the different nodes, and only one sympathetic link that does not count as a connection to make a full circuit of all seven nodes.

* Completed circuit must begin and end at same node (Primary Node).

* Each node can only be used once per circuit, circuits cannot cross themselves.

* Each node (aside from the primary node) will only give a one-time boost to attributes based on their connection criteria.

* Positive polarity circuits receive a +1 bonus when connecting to nodes, 3,5, and 7; Negative polarity circuits increase by connecting to nodes, 2,4, and 6.

* Primary node will give a +2 bonus once per circuit, after the first connection is completed.

* Nodes cannot be the same landing spot, and the same path cannot be traversed in the same direction between nodes.

Number of times remaining (1 / 1).

Seeing the rules, Frank realized that this was a final puzzle. Also, apparently he only got one chance to do this. For his part Frank didn’t know what would happen if he failed. With a name like Initiate Participation Badge, he assumed there would be a way to gain additional tries if he failed. Likely having to go through all of those earlier steps again, or something equally ridiculous.

However, Frank only intended to do this once.

If this was a participation trophy, then Frank did not want to make whoever created this impossibly hard system to look even further down on him than they apparently did.

The test was simple, also it seemed to explain why the earlier explorers got a full five points, for that was how many Frank would get for completing a positive circuit. Apparently directly touching the pillars bypassed the need to follow the rules of circuits.

For a moment, Frank wondered if he would get an easier grade if he physically touched each pillar, but then decided against that. Perhaps the touching aspect is also why this allowed for an Initiate Participation Badge.

Still the rules made sense.

Also with the first connection coming from his starting node and going to the next, Frank realized the reason why he was told he would get Attributes for every odd node touched. Two for the first, then a third on node three. A fourth on node five, and a fifth on node seven.

That said, this was to be slightly different.

With the need to complete a circuit, Frank knew that in order to get all seven nodes, Frank would need to use the sympathetic link to logically connect the seventh node to his node. But then he pondered how to create a second circuit that ran backwards, that would allow him to touch the second, fourth, and sixth nodes on the first loop, without crossing the same path or having nodes go in the opposite direction.

The most logical way to do this was to go backwards, starting with his node and connecting to the seventh node. But the problem with that, would be that he would thereby make the seventh node the second node, which according to the rules would not get him an attribute point.

What he needed to do was to be able to first go up the ladder with one circuit, then somehow go back down the same ladder with the second circuit. The only problem was that this would mean that node four was hit at the exact same spot going up and coming down.

For a moment Frank felt at a loss for what to do, but then a countdown timer began ticking away.

10, 9, ...

Seeing the message, Frank went ahead and began creating a positive circuit. While he wouldn’t get full points for completion until his negative circuit was completed, he could at least begin the process.

Just by using the first of his six connections, Frank instantly felt the surge of power fuse with his body.

+2 Power.

While that wasn’t quite the +2 all Attributes that had been advertised, Frank would take it, as he was fairly certain that most people didn’t say Power was even increased by this training. Rather it just gave bonuses to all the other attributes, the same as normally increasing in a cultivation level would provide.

With the first step taken, the counter disappeared, and Frank was allowed to go about mapping out the simple design.

Just making the mental connection or effort to go down a tunnel to the next node was enough to generate the reward messages.

+1 All Attributes

+1 All Attributes

Frank knew this part was important in some way, but couldn’t quite understand exactly why.

Though for now, he focused on solving this half of the puzzle and receiving full marks.

With only seven spots, four in the center in a box and three outside spots, one of which Frank was resting at, filling out the design was relatively simple. Also, Frank couldn’t help but think of this design as an oversized triangle.

Well it would just be an acute angle sign, had it not been for the sympathetic link that Frank used to connect the seventh node to the starting node.

+1 All Attributes

The moment he made that connection, Frank realized something, as he once again went over the exact wording that had been provided.

For a moment he almost expected a second +2 bonus, but then realized that the sympathetic link was an anomaly in that it both counted and didn’t count at the same time. It counted in so much as it completed the circuit and thereby locked in the overall +5 bonus to attributes, well +2 to Power and +3 to all other attributes.

That said, there was something very simple that came to mind.

The answer seemed both simple and ridiculous at the same time.

Then after a moment of hesitation, he remembered that this was for an Initiate Participation Badge, meaning that the answer was expected to be simple.

10, 9, 8...

Once again, Frank triggered the automatic response for not performing an action within an adequate amount of time.

Seeing the message, Frank went with his gut instinct, and decided to try his theory.

The solution that Frank came up with was as simple as it was ridiculous. He went backwards, but unlike how he originally planned, he first had to connect via his negatively charged circuit to the seventh node with his sympathetic link. Then from there, he proceeded to make connections to all of the other nodes in exact descending order, as he was unable to hit the other even nodes in descending order without repeating steps.

This was a trick on the user, for while connecting from the first node to the seventh node did not count as a connection, due to the sympathetic link. The seventh node counted as the second node used, even though the points were only awarded based on the actual connections.

It was a simple word game, that made you think of the way words affected the outcome of certain situations.

This way, frank still connected to the previous sixth node, on his first real connection. Making the positive sixth node be both his third node for the circuit he was building, but his second connected node, thereby earing him a bonus.

+1 All Attributes

From there the second connection connected the positive sixth node to the positive fifth node. Then pausing for a second Frank held his breath as he then connected to the fourth node. The moment he connected to the fourth node was when he would find out if his assumption about the connected node numbers being different from the actual nodes connected counted.

+1 All Attributes

Seeing the message pop up on the interactive screen before him, Frank let out a breath he didn’t even realize he had been holding.

The reason was simple, using the base pillar as one, then seventh as two, and so on, made the previous fourth pillar the fifth node he connected to. Even though it gave points for the fourth connected node, because it was the fourth connected node, as the sympathetic link didn’t count as a connection. Again, focus on the wording.

From there it was a very simple effort of connecting to the previous third node, then receiving a point for connecting to the previous second node.

+1 All Attributes

Then finally making the sixth and final connection back to the starting node and thereby completing the second circuit.

+2 Power.

Congratulations: Full Completion Bonus Marks Achieved. Now able to access additional training modules at other facilities.

Rewards: +4 Power, +6 All Attributes, Initiate Participation Badge Awarded: Earth Energy. New Earth Energy Node implanted.

At that, Frank felt an infusion of energy into his body that simultaneously burned him, while infusing his body with energy.

The entire thing seemed so surreal that he didn’t quite know what to do, other than focus his mind on ignoring the pain.

Frank's pain was so intense that he missed the blinking messages, or alerting warnings going off.

Evacuation processes Initiated, moving successful Initiate to incubation chambers.

WARNING: Facility will shut down for routine maintenance.

Systems will be offline and recharging for the next 268 days, 12 hours, 18 minutes, 54, 53, 52 seconds…